Customer Reviews

Stanton 500 AL II Phono Cartridge

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Those who are going to purchase this need to pay close attention to the fact that this is for studio-club standard or club DJ and scratching purposes. This is something to play records loud at a venue where the crowd is not going to be analyzing whether you used a mid-end or hi-end set up---who will care as long as the music is going.This also indicates that the Stanton 500 is not for audiophile casual listening purposes to play your favorite classical or jazz records for it's frequency range is somewhat limited and will not track very complex passages, especially loaded with high frequencies. Most low-burn cartridges will have a round stylus tip and not an elliptical or a costlier linear one. For those would not be DJ standard cartridges but your expensive in-home listening grades...The Stanton will get the job done, but it will not perform high end or audiophile quality sound or groundbreaking sonic miracles !

For those Stanton fans who use conical styli, club DJs, 45rpm collectors (as most 45s are made out of styrene and not vinyl, if you use an elliptical styli, they are likely to scratch another groove on the disc surface which only ruins the discs if you use the cartridges too much on 45s), fans of spherical (a.k.a. conical) styli for its low cue burn, this is the cartridge for you. It is not intended for most hi-fi applications but for what it is, it is a great cartridge. I played a somewhat scratched vinyl of Amy Grant's "Unguarded" with this cartridge and the surface noise got reduced well with this cartridge while my Stanton 680 EL II (elliptical cartridge) which I recommend for most hi-fi purposes plays it with surface noise. This is the industry standard for spherical styli and cartridges and is one of the cheapest for this purpose plus the styli can easily be replaced.

This cartridge has a spherical stylus, which gives low record burn. The other review has it wrong. I have two on my 1210s and they work fine. I am going to upgrade to the Shure M44s some time because they give even lower record burn and have a higher output and wider frequency range.

Low End cartridge. A decent cartridge would have an elipitical stylus, and not damage your vinyl so fast.

this is a DJ cartridge designed for backcueing and scratching. They are very affordable and have a reputation for lasting a long time and low record wear. Perfect for new DJs, but if you are serious about it or want to do some scratching get some Shure M44's.

This is not a audiophile highoutput cart. Its meant to be affordable and reliable and it is.

I just hooked these back up after having used many different carts for quite some time and even getting some hifi tips. This is not exactly a "low burn" cartridge. With loud records and a lot of high frequencies, you'll get some nasty frequency intermodulation distortion...and that sound you hear is your record being damaged. This is caused by the cantilever thickness being overbuilt and overmassed for enhanced durability. So that out of the way and assuming such records in your collection are already screwed up from this cart and others that do this (Ortofon dj series tips, I'm talking to you!), let's get to what I think the 500ALII and the v3 do so well. They're neutral and tight as a...well, I won't say it out loud. You really need a smooth mixer with a phono stage that is refined, and the capacitive loading needs attention to get a good match.

But when you get it right, aside from the right channel rasp on the aforementioned hot masters, it's pretty much flat from about 40hz to 16khz, and the lower bass is only 1 or 2 dB down. Phasing is right down the center line, the balance between beat attack & decay is kosher, and while it's not the most detailed or delicate presentation, the rest is enough to cause you to question all the money spent on rolled-off 680's, constrained-sounding Audio Technicas, overpriced aloof-sounding Ortofons, or bloated-bass Shures. To be fair, the Shure is lower distortion, the ATP is even lower, and the 680 better still. Yet on low to medium amplitude pressings, the 500ALII is one of the most CD-like tones you will find. If your separation is poor, I can tell you something is wrong. So in spite of all its failings, it gets an honorable mention. It would be interesting to see if Stanton keeping this ALII/v3 suspension but using a thinner cantilever and an elliptical diamond might give us the best of both worlds.

I am sick of all these snobby comments about a classic phono cartridge. I have been DJing for 15 years. I will never forget the night that I opened up for this "pro" DJ when I had just started out. He replaced my Stanton 500's with his Ortofon Nightclub carts. In the middle of his set, one of the Ortofon stylus' came completely off. (This has never happened to my 500's") I had to give him one of my 500's to use. The sound was bigger whenever he mixed over to my 500. This could have been attributed to many factors. I just know that in the heat of battle the Stanton 500 clobbered the pretty boy. I love how many audiophiles are out there today. Especially considering the fact that none of them even own an amplifier. Your iPod is not Hi-Fi. The Stanton 500 is durable,inexpensive,and sounds great. Save your cash for a good amplifier and some big speakers.

Not the best cartridge to get. The sound isn't that clear and crisp & the first one I got I had to take back because it simply didn't work out of one channel. Best advice - listen to the audiophile's warning. This really was made to be played at a loud venue where the intricacies and details of the tune's/sounds aren't being concentrated on, and this is a good stylus to scratch if you're into it.

Stanton's got some better ones out there and the Shure 44's are pretty solid. Comparable to this, IMO, are a few of the NuMarks but I'd actually rate them a cut above. And if you're into the good sound, check out some of the Grado's. Regardless, you're not gonna get a primo sounding cartridge on the cheap so sometimes with these you get what you pay for in terms of sound quality. For beginners, maybe check this out. Audiophiles looking to enjoy a good album may be disappointed.

This one doesn't come with a headshell, etc. so you're on your own there. Just got the screws, etc.

These are definitely meant to only get a DJ off the ground. They are very dull in the highs and do not possess the greatest clarity. After hearing some Shure carts, I thought my Stanton's were mono, lol.

And the first reviewer had it correct. These have sperical styli which have HIGH record burn due to the styli exerting greater force to the groove's outside walls as a result of its shape not fitting as well as an elliptical styli. The only benefit of the spherical styli is that they offer superior tracking which is perfect for scratching. But I will admit, I backcue often while beatmatching and I experienced a great degree of record burn over the course of a year with these carts. I would not recommend these if you are simply straight mixing (no scratching) with records you value.